Being the CEO of a company may put you at the top of the organizational chart, but does it make you a leader? Not necessarily. Leadership isn’t always defined by your position – it’s about how you influence others. As Vince Lombardi said, “Leaders are made, they are not born.”
Here are five leadership traits to help define your own leadership style:
Be fearless. Fearlessness is an important trait that all leaders should exemplify. As a fearless leader, you’re able to make those big decisions and take action. Fearlessness is about being bold and having the ability to take risks. You should have the confidence and strength to dive into uncharted waters.
Be persistent. When the going gets tough – don’t give up. A strong leader is one who is persistent and doesn’t give up when it comes to reaching his/her goals. Find every possible outlet to ensure that your ideas are being seen and heard. After all, you can’t fully reach your potential without having a little perseverance!
Be positive. You know the old saying, “laughter is the best medicine?” Well, the same goes for leadership. You don’t have to be a comedian, but it’s important that you have a sense of humor and maintain positivity throughout your work environment. Humor and positivity are contagious and can spread like wildfire. Keeping a positive outlook on every situation will help keep office morale at a high.
Be empathetic. Being able to connect with your team is of the utmost importance. You want your employees and clients to look to you for guidance and understanding. Be the right-hand man or woman of your team! Being empathetic builds trust and unites and forms relationships among your team.
Be honest. Honesty is always the best policy. As a leader, strive to promote honest and ethical behavior throughout the office. Establish core values that you and your team will abide by. And if you need help stabling your core values, check out our recent post on Defining Your Core Values.
At Far West Capital, fostering leadership within our employees, our clients and ourselves is important to us. We encourage our team (and you) to adopt these traits and unleash the leadership potential within.
Now that you’ve analyzed a few of our favorite leadership traits, take this quiz from Inc.com to help you determine what kind of leader you are.
